Fazendeville, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Fazendeville was a small community in Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana
(USA
) which was dismantled in the 1960s.
Fazendeville was located on land that had been a portion of the battlefield of The Battle of New Orleans
, between the Chalmette National Cemetery
and the Chalmette monument.
In 1854 the land was listed as part of the succession of Jean Pierre Fazende, a "free man of color", and was inherited by his son of the same name. At the end of the American Civil War
the younger Fazende divided what had been agricultural land into lots and sold them to recently freed slaves.
The African-American community was started by 1867, with the Battle Ground Baptist Church established on 16 April 1868.
The self contained community had its own general stores, a one-room schoolhouse which taught first through eighth grades, two benevolent societies and the Battle Ground Baptist Church. The main street was Fazendeville Road, which ran from St. Bernard Highway to the River Road which formerly ran along the base of the Mississippi levee.
The community ended in 1964 when the St. Bernard Parish Government expropriated the rights to the land for expansion of the park around the battlefield site. Allegations were made at the time (and continue to be made) that the expropriation was motivated at least as much to displace the Parish's largest concentration of African Americans as for need to expand the park.
More than 50 families were forced to relocate when the National Park Service
obtained the land. Fazendeville Road was closed on 24 November 1964 and the demolition of Fazendeville was completed in 1966.
Some of those families relocated to the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, and built a new "Battleground Baptist Church" there in 1964. That area was severely damaged in Hurricane Betsy
in 1965 and even more so by the Hurricane Katrina
levee failure disaster of 2005.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) which was dismantled in the 1960s.
Fazendeville was located on land that had been a portion of the battlefield of The Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans
"The Battle of New Orleans" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Driftwood. The song describes the 1815 Battle of New Orleans from the perspective of an American soldier; the lyrics are evidently intended to be comical. It has been recorded by many artists, but the singer most often associated...
, between the Chalmette National Cemetery
Chalmette National Cemetery
Chalmette National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located within Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Chalmette, Louisiana. The cemetery is a plot adjacent to the site that once was the battleground of the Battle of New Orleans...
and the Chalmette monument.
In 1854 the land was listed as part of the succession of Jean Pierre Fazende, a "free man of color", and was inherited by his son of the same name. At the end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the younger Fazende divided what had been agricultural land into lots and sold them to recently freed slaves.
The African-American community was started by 1867, with the Battle Ground Baptist Church established on 16 April 1868.
The self contained community had its own general stores, a one-room schoolhouse which taught first through eighth grades, two benevolent societies and the Battle Ground Baptist Church. The main street was Fazendeville Road, which ran from St. Bernard Highway to the River Road which formerly ran along the base of the Mississippi levee.
The community ended in 1964 when the St. Bernard Parish Government expropriated the rights to the land for expansion of the park around the battlefield site. Allegations were made at the time (and continue to be made) that the expropriation was motivated at least as much to displace the Parish's largest concentration of African Americans as for need to expand the park.
More than 50 families were forced to relocate when the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
obtained the land. Fazendeville Road was closed on 24 November 1964 and the demolition of Fazendeville was completed in 1966.
Some of those families relocated to the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, and built a new "Battleground Baptist Church" there in 1964. That area was severely damaged in Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy was a Category 4 hurricane of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season which caused enormous damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana. Betsy made its most intense landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River, causing significant flooding of the waters of Lake Pontchartrain into...
in 1965 and even more so by the Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
levee failure disaster of 2005.